The Italians preview Geelong's Worlds circuit

Team Italy arrived in Geelong, Australia, this morning and completed their first training ride on the World Championship circuit.

"We all wanted to get out there on the circuit and ride it," said head coach, Paolo Bettini, in a press release. "The impression that I had on my visit in July was confirmed today: it's a demanding circuit, characterised by wind."

For the first time the World Championships (262.7 kilometres) is a point-to-point course. It will start in Melbourne and travel 85 kilometres west to Geelong. In Geelong, the race will truly begin with 11 15.9-kilometre circuits, each with two climbs, the Ridge and Aphrasia St.

The Italians have won four of the last 10 editions. Today, they rode the circuit as part of a 70-kilometre training ride that took them south to the east to Bellarine.

"The first day's training went well. The team is already showing its unity," said Bettini. "We are ready for a longer training ride tomorrow."

Vuelta a España winner, Vincenzo Nibali is one of the team leaders along with Filippo Pozzato. The rest of the team (plus two reserves) includes Luca Paolini, Giovanni Visconti, Daniel Oss, Marzio Bruseghin, Enrico Gasparotto, Francesco Gavazzi, Matteo Tosatto, Rinaldo Nocentini and Andrea Tonti.

Pozzato, Paolini, Visconti and Daniel Bennati previewed the course with Bettini in July.

"This first training ride is a confirmation of what we saw in July: It's an unforgiving circuit," Pozzato said. "You will have to live it, lap after lap, to figure out how to conquer it."

"It is not a simple circuit," said Nibali. "Those two climbs may make the difference. Without a doubt, it is hard and demanding."

The Italian team left from Milan on Tuesday. The mechanics departed in advance with the first 11 bikes, while other materials were sent, including spare bikes and 70 sets of spare wheels.